Stormtroopers stand guard in Cannes

Star Wars' Stormtrooper characters are seen on the red carpet as guest arrives. Photo:Reuters

Security was even tighter than usual at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday as a phalanx of stormtroopers ensured the cast of Solo: A Star Wars Story made it safely up the red carpet.

The sinister shiny white soldiers stood guard as Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover, who play Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, waved before heading in for a special screening of their movie at the festival on the southern coast of France.

Director Ron Howard and co-stars Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke also walked the red carpet, as did a hairy Chewbacca, which was slightly strange as the actor who plays the Wookiee, Joonas Suotamo, was also there, having swapped his fur suit for the obligatory tuxedo.

The film tells the backstory of Han Solo, the loveable rogue played by Harrison Ford in the original Star Wars films.

It premiered in Los Angeles on May 10 and will start its global release on May 23.